Free Theatre Christchurch

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A bit about

Free Theatre Christchurch was established in 1982 as an incorporated society with its own theatre in the Christchurch Arts Centre (New Zealand). Its original mission statement included the following objectives: to stage old and new rarely staged European plays in original translations, new New Zealand plays, and classical English texts in an unusual and experimental style. From the start the emphasis has been on non-verbal action and high production standards, discouraging the star system and encouraging long rehearsal and training periods in a company context.

Over a series of projects that include Last Days of Mankind, Footprints/Tapuwae, Samson Airline, Fantasia, Philoctetes, Diana Down Under, Ella and Susn, Faust Chroma, Distraction Camp and Doctor Faustus, a committed ensemble has developed under the direction of Peter Falkenberg. The ensemble has ventured outside of Christchurch and received a number of awards and nominations, including:

* 2009 Nominee for The Montana Award, Most Original Production (Faust Chroma),
Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards
* 2009 Award for Best Theatre (Ella and Susn) at the Dunedin Fringe Festival
* 2009 Nominee for Best Production Design (Ella and Susn), Dunedin Fringe Festival
* 2009 Award for Best Production Design (Faust Chroma), Wellington Fringe Festival
* 2008 Award for Best Theatre (Faust Chroma) at the Dunedin Fringe Festival
* 2008 Nominee for Best Production Design (Faust Chroma), Dunedin Fringe Festival

Free Theatre Christchurch is currently assembling a repertoire of old and new works to tour nationally and internationally, and developing an archive of its remarkable 30-year history.

Big Idea

Taking its inspiration from European predecessors (Freie Bühne in Germany, Théâtre Libre in France), Free Theatre Christchurch consistently strives for its productions to be "free": free from social conventions, free from political limitations, free from audience expectations and, as much as possible in contemporary society, free from bottom-line financial considerations.

In a society in which artistic success is increasingly inseparable from commercial success, Free Theatre Christchurch tries to preserve or rediscover what might be an antiquated notion of autonomous art.

Contact Details

Organisation name: Free Theatre Christchurch
Physical Address: Te Puna Toi
The Old Library
Arts Centre
Christchurch New Zealand
Postal Address: PO Box 2736
Christchurch 8013
Email: admin@freetheatre.org.nz
Phone: 03 3653159
Organisation Website URL: http://www.freetheatre.org.nz
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/user/freetheatre
Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Theatre-Christchurch/135701518888

History

Member for: 3 years 11 weeks

Connected With

Videos

Distraction Camp - Free Theatre Christchurch
Emma Johnston sings Volver as part of Free Theatre Christchurch's Distraction Camp, playing at BATS August 31 to September 11.

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